Ex-Child Star Jackie Cooper Dies at 88

Published May 4, 2011 at 4:19 PM

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Jackie Cooper, the former child movie star who won a best actor Oscar nomination at the age of 9 for "Skippy" and grew up to play The Daily Planet editor in Christopher Reeves' four "Superman" movies, has died. He was 88.

Cooper died from an undisclosed illness Tuesday at a Los Angeles hospital, agent Ronnie Leif said.

A handsome kid with tousled blond hair and a winning smile, Cooper had a memorable bit in the 1929 musical "Sunny Side Up" and appeared in eight of the popular "Our Gang" comedies, including "Pups Is Pups" and "Teacher's Pet." Those credits led to a test that won him the title role of "Skippy."